NILGIRIS: Officials of the Udhagamandalam Municipality have sealed 33 illegal cottages, hotels and lodges in the town within four days, following the Madras High Court's directions to act against buildings constructed in violation of planning and building regulations.
Sources said the enforcement team, led by Udhagamandalam Municipality Commissioner S Parthasarathy and Town Planning Inspector M Mahendra Kumar, has issued notices to around 830 properties identified as unauthorised constructions or buildings that have been put to commercial use without the required approvals.
According to Commissioner Parthasarathy, building regulations permit construction only up to ground plus one floor across the Nilgiris district.
"Udhagamandalam is an environmentally sensitive area and is also prone to earthquakes. The HC has initiated action against illegal buildings, particularly those where residential structures were approved as houses but later converted into lodges and cottages for commercial purposes," he said.
He added that notices had also been served to owners who had constructed ground plus two or three floors despite obtaining approval only for ground plus one floor.
The commissioner said owners whose properties had been sealed could approach the secretary of the municipal administration and water supply department in Chennai and apply for the necessary approvals to have the seals removed.
However, sources said the chances of such applications being accepted were slim, as many of the buildings had additional floors constructed in violation of the approved plans. In such cases, the unauthorised portions may have to be demolished to bring the structures into compliance with the regulations.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Cottage, Hotel and Lodge Owners' Association have appealed to the Nilgiris district administration and the municipal commissioner to grant them more time and defer further action. However, the commissioner maintained that sufficient time had already been given to the owners.
G Mahendran, vice-president of the Ooty Cottage Association, told TNIE that the association has approached the Supreme Court seeking removal of the seals, arguing that the cottages, hotels and lodges have been functioning for nearly three decades and were not recently converted from residential buildings.
“Except for building plan approval, we have obtained all necessary clearances, including approvals from the fire and rescue services department and stability certificates from the local body. As per the regulations, the master plan is supposed to be revised once every five years. However, we have been following the master plan that was established in 1993,” he said.
